Daisies
by Terra Saltt
Summary: A fresh start is all Kiku wants so he can have a normal life, but when he is constantly harassed by ghosts, is that even possible? Fitting in is hard enough in this strange country town, especially when the first friend he makes is being haunted by his dead brother. But it isn't the ghost that has to move on... Modern western AU, eventual AmeriPan.
1. Chapter 1

**Uh…uh…uh…**

**So you know that poll I posted about what the theme of my next fic will be? Well I never said it would be a SuFin like my usual stuff…hehe…**

**And now I'm facing that awkward moment when I post a fic about characters I don't often write for. (If I do something stupid, feel free to point it out and yell at me. I need that kind of input to get better.) Kind of an out-of-the-blue pairing for me. AmeriPan has grown on me over the past year and now I want to do something about it. ****I'm hoping a little something different will get the writing juices flowing again, so here's my quack experimental fic about cowboys and Asians. (Get it? "Cowboys and Aliens"…Asians… Hah, I'm funny. Did anyone else even see that movie?)**

**Warnings:**

**AU: Western!Alfred and Spirit Medium!Kiku.**

**Will contain BL. AmeriPan. Light fluff.**

* * *

I had no real attachment to Tokyo. The city was my home, but it never felt like home to me. I didn't have any friends, just a few acquaintances throughout my childhood that never lasted very long. I tended to keep to myself and avoided going places if I didn't have to. I was different, I didn't fit in, I lacked confidence. The counselors said I had a personality disorder. I let them believe that, fearing what they would do with me if I told them the truth.

My name is Kiku Honda, and I can see the spirits of the deceased.

They walk around like normal people, only invisible and untouchable to the world around them. When I was little I would tell my parents about them, about the man with one arm following us and the woman in our house who cried a lot. I didn't understand how my parents couldn't see them. Nobody else did, either. When I was young they believed I was simply making imaginary friends, and I believed that, too. But as I got older, they didn't go away. In fact, there were more of them. They all had names, I could draw their faces, some would teach me things that my parents didn't, sometimes good things and other times they got me in trouble. Eventually my mother pulled me aside and told me to never speak of my 'imaginary friends' again, because people were starting to talk and it was not normal. I tried to tell her that they weren't imaginary, that they kept asking for me to do and say things, that some of them wouldn't leave and were scaring me. The look in her eyes right before she slapped me was one I will never forget and one I don't ever want to see again. My silence began that day.

As I grew up, the spirits would follow me. Apparently word had gotten out among them that I could see them, so they swarmed me with pleas for help. And I did…for a time. They only wanted to find peace and I was their only link to the living world. It was exhausting work, though, and the more I helped the more attention I received. It was never ending. It became too much to handle. I learned that spirits are supposed to find peace on their own, though they usually didn't think that way, as if I were their only hope. I gave up, but many wouldn't take no for an answer. Some of them were violent and threatening if I didn't do what they said. They couldn't physically harm me, but the constant mental torment broke me down little by little. They wouldn't let me sleep. I was never alone. I was filled with regret, remorse, guilt, stress, confusion, until finally, I snapped.

I had an episode in school where I drove everyone out of the classroom with my sudden burst of screaming in the middle of a lecture. I blacked out, and when I came to, I was told it took three people to restrain me just to get me to the hospital. They asked me questions and gave me tests, they prescribed medication, they gave me therapy, none of it I responded to. People at school looked at me differently and rumors left me not only alone, but shunned. It was the last straw for my parents who had to put up with me and my concerning behavior no matter where we went, so on a doctor's recommendation, they did something drastic.

We moved to America.

The idea was to get me away from the bustling city and into a more peaceful place. A change of scenery, if you will. A fresh start where I could calm down and open up, where my family wasn't ridiculed, where I could have a second chance at a normal life. My parents had been wanting to move to America for a while and this was a good reason to do it. It was my escape. I didn't think about anything else other than leaving those vexatious ghosts behind, who I knew wouldn't follow me across the sea or they would never find peace, and we couldn't get to America sooner. It wasn't until I got off the plane that I realized I was terrified.

Sure, I did not like the city where there were so many people and, consequently, dead people, but it was all I knew. Tokyo was familiar. America was very different, especially where I was going to be living. Gone were the towering skyscrapers and honking horns. Gone were the crowds of people and bright lights, the customs and culture that made me, the food I ate, and the language I spoke. It was replaced with absolutely nothing. Rolling hills stretched for as far as the eye could see and the bluest sky I'd ever known touched all horizons. Farmhouses lined old roads surrounded by pastures and cornfields. The town was so small that I felt as if I would have missed it if I blinked. We went right through it on our way to our new house, passed buildings made of stone and wood, people wearing funny clothes that took notice of our tiny car and knew we were outsiders at first glance. I saw some kids around my age walking down the sidewalk, and I wondered if we would have anything in common at all. Was this really such a good idea?

Well, on the plus side, there were no ghosts following me.

My family spent the first two days unpacking what the movers brought to us in dusty vans and cleaning our new rental house, which was pretty big compared to our old apartment. It belonged to my cousin's family that ran a business renting out houses all over the country, hence the great deal we got. There were no spirits lingering around, which I couldn't have been happier about. It was the first time in my life that I could have any peace and quiet, and I spent it in my room arranging my things. The silence was actually a little eerie, so I listened to music, figuring it would most likely take some time to get used to. It was my newfound privacy that I loved the most. No eyes watching me, no snide remarks from rude ghosts, no heads popping through the wall with no warning, just me while I figured out how my room would look. My art desk was put under the window, my bed near the door, television propped on my dresser and games neatly organized on the shelves. I think my parents noticed the smile on my face that wasn't there before. They began smiling more, too. All was fine so far…until on the third day, there was a knock on our door.

"Kiku, could you get that?" My mother asked in Japanese from the kitchen. I was sitting on the couch playing my PSP while she arranged her prized porcelain plates on top of the cabinets in the kitchen. It was really starting to look like our place in Japan, just rearranged differently to accommodate the new space.

"Hai," I answered and put my game on pause. I expected to see more movers dropping off a few boxes we might have missed, but when I opened the door, I found myself staring at a grinning boy with eyes as blue and wide as the sky behind him.

"Howdy!" he greeted enthusiastically and tipped the wide brimmed hat on his head down with the flick of a finger, then back up with a curt nod. He then stuck his hand out at me to initiate a handshake before I could even respond. "I saw you folks were moving in, so I came down to meet'cha. It's not every day we get new neighbors in these parts!" I copied him hesitantly and put my hand out, and he grabbed it and shook with a grip I wasn't expecting. "The name's Alfred F. Jones, and welcome to Glenly!"

He released my hand and I wasn't quite sure what to say. I wasn't prepared for this! He kept looking at me with that grin, and after a moment of obvious silence that quickly became uncomfortable, I knew I had no chance at giving off a normal impression anymore. It didn't take much to make me panic, and as the seconds ticked by, I remained frozen like an idiot. That only made me panic more, and Alfred's expression was starting to turn into confusion. _Come on,_ _say something! Anything!_

"…You okay?" He waved a hand in front of my face and I felt my ears burn in embarrassment.

"Uh, h-hai, I-I…um…" My throat was so tight that I couldn't get words past it. Just as I was praying for lightning to strike me where I stood and end this awkward nightmare, my mother came to the rescue.

"Hello," she greeted politely as she came to the door and I quickly stepped aside, thanking every deity I could name while simultaneously wanting to find a hole to crawl into after such a pitiful failure just trying to say hi. "Are you our neighbor?"

Alfred's grin was back and he tipped his hat to her as he had to me. "Sure am! My family lives down the road, the one with all the horses and the stable. I came down to welcome you here and invite ya'll over for dinner tonight. Pop is fix'n steak and potatoes, a good country meal for a good country welcome."

My mother smiled at him, no doubt finding him charming. "How nice! Of course we will attend. My name is Honda Sakura, my husband Honda Hiroshi is in the town at the moment, and this is my son Honda Kiku." I inched just a bit more behind her when his eyes landed on me again. I couldn't help it for some reason.

Alfred blinked and scratched the back of his head, as if he didn't understand something. My mother's accent wasn't _that_ bad, I thought. "All of you are named Honda?"

"Yes, that is our family name."

"Oh!" Alfred's eyes brightened like a light bulb had gone on in his head. He sure had an expressive face. "But if Honda is your last name, then why do ya say it first?"

"It is how we introduce ourselves in Japan," she explained.

"Oh, cool! I didn't know that." He went back to that smile of his and hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans. "Well, I'm 'Jones F. Alfred,' my dad is 'Jones John,' and my ma is 'Jones Amelia.' I hope Glenly becomes as much of a home for you as it has been for us!"

"Thank you, what time should we be over?"

"Four o'clock should be just fine. I better get back so I can tell my pop how many we're feeding. It'll be fun gett'n to know each other, I'm sure we'll all be great friends!" He tipped his hat again, that gesture apparently meaning hello _and_ goodbye, and he bid my mother farewell. "Good to meet ya, Ma'm." He then looked to me and, I swear on my life, I saw him wink. "You too, Kiku." He then turned around and walked down the gravel driveway towards a brown horse tethered to the mailbox by the road. Next to the horse was another person who looked a lot like Alfred, at least from this distance, and he patted the horse's neck while it munched on grass. My mother closed the door before I could watch him hop onto the saddle and she turned to me with her hands on her hips.

"That boy was being polite and you didn't say a single thing," she said. Her tone was tired, seeing how we'd been through this kind of thing many times before, but I still felt the sting of disappointment. "Please try harder at dinner tonight."

It was a fair thing to ask of me, yet it filled me with slight dread. "Yes, mother." She gave me a warm smile, the one that reassured me that she wasn't mad, and went back to the kitchen for further decorating. I went up to my room and decided to stop procrastinating and unpack the rest of my clothes if I wanted to find something to wear tonight.

Alfred lingered on my mind long after he'd left. He was the first person I'd met in this new place and I was already put off by his boisterous attitude and odd way of talking. Was that normal for people around here? I feared my quiet voice wouldn't be heard if I couldn't match his volume. And what would I be wearing to dinner? Was this a formal event? Was it casual? The way Alfred was dressed when he invited us would suggest casual, but what if it _was_ formal and I showed up underdressed? And never mind what I was wearing, how was I going to face him after that pathetic performance? _Baka_! He probably thought I was stupid! I managed to screw up before even saying a word. Whatever hope I had of fitting in here was diminishing fast, and I could only hope for the chance to redeem myself. But knowing me, I'd probably screw that up, too.

I guess all I could do was to tell myself to stay positive. Look at the bright side: even if I became an outcast here, at least there were no spirits to drive me insane.

OOO

"Welcome!" a cheerful woman answered the door to the house before we even reached the top step. She was wearing her blonde hair tied back and a simple flannel button-up left open at the top. I could feel my family's relief, seeing how we all didn't know what was expected of us and we all took a chance and dressed informally. So far so good. "You must be the Hondas. Come on in!"

We were ushered in and I got ready to take off my shoes, but to my surprise, Mrs. Jones was still wearing hers inside the house. The carpet even looked freshly vacuumed and she was wearing her shoes! I guess it was normal, though, because who should come around the corner than Alfred, also wearing his boots in the house. His smile was just as bright as the last time I saw it, forming a matching pair when standing beside his mother. He looked a lot like her but with slightly darker blonde hair, and with his hat off I noticed one rebellious lock sticking up from his part. I figured he would greet my mother first, considering she was the only one he's talked to so far, or maybe my father because he hadn't met him yet, but to my surprise he walked right up to me instead.

"Good to see ya again," he said as if he didn't remember the last time he tried to talk to me. I felt my mother's eyes flick to me, waiting in expectancy, and with her to please and me now ready for this, I was able to swallow my initial nervousness.

"Yes, it is a pleasure to meet you," I said and was about to bow, but I managed to remember that westerners didn't do that. What _did_ they do? I knew from observation that they tipped hats, but what if you weren't wearing a hat? Neither of us were. Handshake? We already did that earlier. Was it appropriate to shake hands several times in the same day?

And just like that, I felt awkward again. But at least I managed to say something this time. I've never been so anxious when meeting someone new before, but these people were so different, and there was so much pressure to make a good impression. Or was it all in my head?

Thankfully, Alfred moved on to greet my parents before it could get awkward again. He smiled at my mother and shook hands with my father; the whole time Mrs. Jones assured us happily that we were welcome in her home anytime. She ushered us through the house passed the living room, kitchen, and dining room, only allowing for a short glimpse into the home of our rustic neighbors, before leading us out the open back door and onto a large wooden patio that overlooked the yard. There were some brown chickens pecking the grass around a barn not too far away, and a wood and wire fence separated a few grazing horses in the bordering field. The entire place felt old, but not tiredly so. The buildings rested timelessly on the land, looking comfortable and intertwined with the foliage that grew at their sides, as if they had all grown from the same soil. It looked like a scene from an oil painting.

On the corner of the deck furthest from the house were five people laughing and talking around a gas powered grill. It looked like another couple and their teenage son, and the boy that looked like a younger Alfred from before sat on the bench beside them. The broad shouldered man using the grill put the lid down and introduced himself as John, the husband of Mrs. Jones.

"Hope you folks don't mind, but the Carriedo family would like to join us for dinner, too. They own the ranch down the road from ours so we're all pretty much the same family." My parents assured them it was fine, though a bit awkwardly, and the reason for our concerned glances was explained when my mother held up the gift bag in her arms.

"Where we come from, it is customary to bring gifts when invited to one's home. We weren't expecting so many people, so I am afraid we do not have enough…"

"You're giving _us_ gifts?" Mrs. Carriedo laughed. "How funny! Over here,_ we're_ the ones that are supposed to give _you_ the gift baskets. Speaking of which, I'll go fetch those from the house real quick." She went inside while everyone gathered around my family, and my mother handed both my father and I the little wrapped boxes to give to our hosts. The others didn't seem to mind they weren't receiving gifts, looking much more excited to give theirs to us instead.

"My, my! It's so beautifully wrapped that I'm going to feel bad about opening it!" Mrs. Jones said as she examined her box bound in a purple and white handkerchief tied in a knot at the top that resembled a flower. It was my mother's specialty, and my father handed his offering to Mr. Jones next. The man thanked him, and then it was my turn. I had two, one for Alfred and the other for who I assumed was his younger brother standing at his left and watching the exchange with interest. He seemed to be very quiet, but his smile was inquisitive and kind, a sharp contrast to Alfred's nearly identical face boasting broad and animated grins. I handed the first package to Alfred since he was looking so eager.

"Wow, thanks!" he said and spared only a moment to look at the colorful paper tied with a white ribbon before pulling the string and peeling it away. I was taken by surprise when he, as well as the rest of his family, opened their gifts to discover the rice crackers and chocolates that were inside right in front of us. I looked to my parents for their reaction and they simply smiled as if this were normal. They'd each been to America before, so I trusted their experience.

"Cool, it's all Japanese-y," Alfred said as he turned over the box of Apollo chocolates in his hands. "What is it?"

"Candy," I explained. "Inside are small strawberry and chocolate cones. They are popular in Tokyo."

"You come from Tokyo?" The Carriedo's son asked with raised eyebrows. "That's a pretty big city to move to here from. What's it like?"

"It is very…crowded," I answered hesitantly. "And loud."

"Well if you wanted a change of pace, ya sure got it out here." I nodded in agreement. "Who's that one for?"

I look down at my hand where Alfred was pointing and suddenly remembered the box for the younger brother, who had seemed to have wandered off somewhere after he didn't get to open his gift with the rest of his family. They didn't even bother to wait. "S-sorry, this one is meant for the other one who came to invite us here." I looked around and finally spotted him standing by the adults and listening to their conversation, as if he were simply part of the background.

"You mean Scarlet?" Alfred pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the pasture and one of the horses lazily lifted its head at the sound of its name, only to flick its tail and go right back to eating grass. "That's real thoughtful of ya, but horses can't have chocolate."

"No, I mean…" when I looked to the quiet brother again, he appeared to have noticed my eyes on him. He looked back at me and froze with open-mouthed disbelief. It didn't take me more than a second to put it all together, and when I did, the realization made my stomach sink to my toes. I messed up.

"_You…you can see me?"_

* * *

**Bum bum buuuuuum. Matt's a ghost. Big surprise, eh?**

**Gosh is it easy for me to describe this setting. I just have to look out my window! Granted, I live in a more mountainous valley area, but it's got the same feeling. I grew up on a bit of a farm myself.**

**This is my first time writing for Japan so I'd love to know how I'm doing. Also, western Alfred is best Alfred.**


	2. Chapter 2

"_Hello?"_

Just ignore him, Kiku. There was still the chance of pretending like he was mistaken. The ghost could stand in front of me and wave his hands in front of my face all he wanted, I was going to keep up my blank expression and pretend I was following what everyone else was doing. Just ignore him. Ignore him. Ignore him. Ignore the panic squeezing at your chest, put on your mask, and ignore him.

"_I know you can see me, you were looking right at me!"_

The ghost leaned in close to study my face, looking for any break in my façade. The battle between us was silent and unnerving, and in this critical moment, it felt as if the earth stood still. If I gave him any reason to believe I could see him, then this whole ordeal would have been for naught. It would be Tokyo all over again.

"Kiku?" It took me a moment to realize one of the hands in front of my face belonged to Alfred. "You look kinda lost all a sudden."

"I'm fine," I said quickly. Both he and his friend didn't look convinced. My mind rushed to come up with an excuse, but luckily, Mrs. Carriedo had great timing.

"Here it is!" she announced when she came through the door behind me. I immediately turned around and focused on the big overflowing straw basket in her hands as if nothing had happened, and the others followed suit. "We all pitched in to fill it up with all sorts of things for ya'll to try, courtesy of your new neighbors."

The basket was full of strange things, many of which my family would probably not know what to do with. We were presented with huge frozen cuts of beef that would probably feed a small village. From the Carriedo's we also received jalapeño jam, which sounded outrageous just saying it. We were also given a carton of fresh eggs laid just that morning and some flower and vegetable seeds, which my mother seemed happy about. She always wanted her own garden. I, on the other hand, was finding it hard to concentrate when a certain someone wasn't giving up on getting my attention. I felt detached from the others while they laughed and talked and I simply stood there pretending to be included.

"_You saw me, didn't you…?"_ It looked like he was starting to believe he was wrong the way he looked at me with fading anticipation and I started to feel relief.

I guess let my guard down too soon, though, because the ghost suddenly raised his hand and threw it in my face as if to hit me. Of course he didn't hit me, ghosts cannot interact with the living world, so his arm went right through my head as if nothing were there. It was so unexpected, though, that I involuntarily flinched. It was a small movement, just the blink of my eyes and a twitch of my shoulders, but it might as well have been a waving red flag.

"_You _can_ see me!"_ he exclaimed and removed his arm from my body. I could feel the blood drain from my face as he jumped for joy and laughed. This was bad. This was really bad.

"E-excuse me," I turned to Mrs. Jones. "May I use your restroom…?"

"Oh, of course, sweety! Alfred, can you show'em where it's at?"

"Sure thing," Alfred waved for me to follow and I did, as well as the ghost, who now appeared glued to my side and about ready to burst. I had no choice but to tell him what he didn't want to hear and hope he wasn't one of the ones whose purpose was to make my life difficult until I gave in. I tried not to dwell on it as I was taken through the back door and down a hallway, which was dimmer than the rest of the naturally-lit house, once again ignoring the instinct to take off my shoes. Alfred stopped two doors to the left and pointed. "Here ya are."

"Thank you." I expected him to move aside so I could go in, but he stayed where he was and looked over my shoulder for a minute, as if someone might be watching, (someone besides the ghost he was looking right through) then back at me.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked. I blinked and looked at him as if I didn't know what he meant. "Ya seem a bit tense."

I guess I wasn't as good at acting as I thought. "I'm fine, I'm just…" What do I say? That I'm practically having a panic attack because his dead brother found out I can see him?

"…Shy?" The accusation made my ears burn, but I didn't deny it. It was true enough and I really couldn't come up with a better excuse, though it was a bit embarrassing. When I nodded, Alfred didn't roll his eyes like my mother would or laugh at me. He leaned on the doorframe with his thumbs in his pockets and smiled. "There's nothing wrong with being a little shy. Don't be so scared, though, nobody's gonna bite ya."

Of course not, that would be ridiculous. "Thank you, I will keep that in mind."

"If ya need anything, let me know." He got off the doorframe and went past me, unknowingly going right through the ghost who didn't look like he could wait any longer to talk to me. "Antonio an' I are gonna take a walk to get away from the parents so meet us at the barn when you're done, 'kay?"

Antonio? That must have been the Carriedo boy. I agreed and quickly went into the bathroom. The ghost had no trouble going through the door, and when the sound of Alfred's footsteps disappeared, I sighed and finally gave him my attention.

"_This is amazing!"_ he started with stars in his eyes. _"You have no idea what this means to me, I haven't talked to anyone in years! I, er, I mean, you…um…gosh, I dunno know what to say!"_

"Please do not say anything," I asked. "I would appreciate it if you did not tell anyone about this."

"_Who would I tell?"_ His joy faded into confusion. _"There aren't any other people that can see me. You're the first person who ever has, an'…oh, I'm Matthew, by the way. You know what I am, right? That's why you didn't freak out?" _He seemed to be having trouble organizing his thoughts, like he really hadn't spoken to anyone for several years.

"I know what you are, and I am talking about other spirits," I said. "I do not want that attention. Forgive me, but I cannot associate with you."

"_But…why?" _He frowned and looked at me innocently. _"Nobody else can see or hear me. I'm the only ghost 'round for miles, as far as I know."_ That was a surprise. _"There were some in the hospital, but they stayed there when I left with my family."_

"You are the only one?"

"_Yeah. Glenly doesn't have a lot of folks, an' I'm the only one that's come back that I know of." _That gave me a breath of relief. There was hope for me yet! _"It's awful lonely being me, that's why I'm so happy to meet you. For three years I've been like this, all alone, watching everyone I love live life without me, having nobody to talk to, nobody that sees me… But now that you're here, I don't have to be alone anymore! You could even help me contact my family an'-"_

"No." I put my hand up and stopped him there. They always asked me for that, and it was the thing I refused to do the most. It was made clear to me early on that the world of the dead and the world of the living were meant to stay separate. "My ability is not to be used in such a way. I cannot interfere with a fate I have no part in, nor can I connect you to a world you no longer belong to." This was usually when a spirit would either burst into tears and beg or get angry and threaten me, but Matthew did neither. He simply stared at me with wide eyes like a scolded child, which he was, and I dropped my stern tone. "Please understand…it is not my place."

"_But…"_ Matthew looked down at his feet. _"Does that mean I can't even talk to you? Like a friend?"_

"Ah…well…" I know my rule was not to associate with ghosts in any way, but…Matthew didn't seem to be one of the bad ones. He was soft spoken and polite, and if there really weren't any other ghosts in Glenly, then it probably wouldn't be that big of a deal…

"_I won't try to talk to you when you're in public, if that's what you're worried about,"_ Matthew assured when he noticed my internal debate. "_And I promise to give you your privacy. I spend most of my time with Al, anyway."_ Would it be so bad? Even if things did go sour somehow, one spirit was easy enough to ignore compared to the horde I was used to. But what if he wasn't the only ghost in Glenly? Could I trust him? _"Please…I just don't want to be ignored anymore…" _Even if he wasn't, he seemed desperate enough to keep any promise if it meant I would acknowledge him. I had to make a choice.

"I'm really not supposed to…" A heavy sigh left my nose as I gave in. "…but if you promise to be respectful of my privacy, I guess I can-"

_"Oh, thank you thank you THANK YOU!"_ I didn't even get to finish before Matthew started jumping up and down. He even tried to hug me and ended up falling through my body, but he was too excited to mind. _"You're the best, Kiku!"_

I just hoped I wouldn't regret it.

When I left the bathroom, Matthew's face was one big grin. He had a bounce in his steps as he led me down the little dirt trail to the side of the fence that went to the barn where Alfred said he and Antonio would be. It was a classic brown triangular building with white trim like you would find in a children's book illustration, though the front wall appeared to be missing, revealing a large dirt arena between two long rows of stalls. The others were on the far end of the left row talking about something, so I walked towards them with Matthew pointing to each stall we passed, all of them currently empty, and reciting the names of the animals that belonged there. I was more interested in the equipment hanging on each door and wondered what these strange hooks and ropes were used for. Everything seemed to be covered in a fine layer of dust even though it was obvious this place was used frequently. Every nook and cranny was filled with it. Do they ever clean?

"There you are!" Alfred said and waved me over. "We was start'n to wonder if ya didn't know how to use American johns!" I wasn't really sure what to make of that. "I heard from somewhere that they have weird fountain toilets in Japan."

I approached them and tried to come up with a response. I would have to expect the unexpected from Alfred from now on, I realized. "Uh…ours are very similar…"

Alfred seemed disappointed. "Oh."

His friend had a grin a bit more leisurely than Alfred's. "I haven't properly introduced myself yet, have I? My name's Antonio. Al says you say last names first, though, so should I introduce myself as 'Carriedo Antonio?'"

"No, uh…I mean, yes you would, but you don't have to," I said. "It is good to meet you."

"Good to see you're talk'n now," Alfred said with a laugh and a firm pat to my back, which was a surprise and made me jump. Was that really necessary? "When I showed up to invite ya over, I thought you might not've known English!"

"S-sorry about that," I quickly apologized. "I was not prepared for your visit."

"You'll get used to it," he assured. Did that mean he planned to visit often? "As your neighbor, it'll be my duty to show ya around and get you nice and familiar with Glenly. Ain't that right, Tonio?"

"Sure is."

"That is very kind of you."

"It's the least we can do for our new amigo," Antonio said. "So Kiku, tell us about Japan. You know, besides it being crowded."

Both of them looked at me expectantly. "Uh…what do you want to know?"

Alfred's hand shot up as if he were in school. "Do you really eat raw fish all the time?"

"Well…yes, but not all the ti-"

"Do you know kung-fu?" Antonio interrupted.

"Um, no…"

"Have you ever seen a real ninja?"

"Of course he hasn't, Al, you can't see ninjas, they're _ninjas_."

Was this really what Americans thought of Japan? "Is it true you do a lot of stuff backwards? Oh, and does Tokyo really have giant monster attacks like in the movies?"

"What kind of stupid questions are those?"

I was at a loss while the two dissolved into bickering. Matthew rolled his eyes at them. _"Sorry, my brother watches too much T.V."_ We waited for them to realize they were getting off track.

"Oh, I know a good question!" Just like that, the focus was back on me and I braced myself yet again. Antonio's green eyes had a certain gleam to them that I wasn't so sure about. "What are the girls like in Japan?"

"…Eh?"

"You know, girls. Ladies. Las chicas." He swiveled his hands in the shape of an hour glass and raised aneyebrow. "I hear Japanese gals are real cute and sweet."

"Uh…" I wasn't sure how to answer that. Girls in Japan were just…girls. There didn't seem to be anything special about them overall, but was that because I didn't know any girls from other cultures to compare? I didn't even know many girls in my own culture. There was Minami who lived next door, but she always thought I was strange and we hardly spoke. The girls in my classes seemed generally normal, they would gather in groups just like the boys did, though they did tend to giggle and laugh more. My aloofness didn't help me get to know many people outside of observation or first impressions, especially the female gender.

Alfred must have seen that I was having trouble coming up with an answer and he elbowed Antonio's arm. There was a lot of physical contact here, I noticed. "Is that all you ever think about? _Girls this, girls that_. Don'tcha get enough of them fawning over you at the rodeo?"

"You can't ever have enough girls," Antonio defended with a hand over his heart. "So how 'bout it? Got any long distance relationships back in Tokyo? Maybe one with a sister?"

"My God, Tonio, you're as bad as Francis!"

"Says the guy who's never had a girlfriend," Antonio smirked when Alfred narrowed his eyes and he ruffled his short hair. "You'll get it when you're older, niñito."

"Screw you, you're only a year older than me!" Alfred leaned away and tried to fix the damage the other caused to his hair for a moment. "If I wanted to I could _so_ get a girlfriend. Chicks dig cowboys."

"You know what chicks dig more? Rodeo boys." I wasn't expecting to see the slight change in Alfred's demeanor. He frowned and looked away to his right; unaware that someone invisible was looking right back with a similar frown. Antonio seemed disappointed about Al's reaction, so he changed the focus back to me. "So how about it, Kiku? Got a girl back home?"

"No…"

"Aw, too bad. But I guess long term relationships are pretty hard to manage, anyway."

We started walking out of the barn between the fenced pastures where quite a few horses grazed. It took a minute for Alfred to join the conversation again for some reason, but when he did, he went back to his usual energetic self in no time. I was glad, because Alfred being quiet was a bit more unnerving than you would think.

We exchanged information about ourselves (though it was mostly them doing the talking) and I learned a bit about their lives. It was amazing how different we were, yet so similar at the same time. They were typical teenage boys that watched television and played video games, talked about girls, (well, that was mostly Antonio) and made bad jokes about each other. Granted I've never experienced a friendship quite like theirs, but something about it felt right. Normal. That was exactly what I wanted for myself, though I wasn't sure where to start.

However, there were quite a few things different about them thanks to their upbringing that I had a hard time relating to. Alfred raised, broke, and rode horses, which I'd never seen so close up before. One approached us from the field, 'looking for sugar' as Alfred said, and I was taken aback at the sheer size of the animal he was scratching affectionately on the nose. He tried to get me to pet it as well and I shook my head to decline. I wasn't putting my hand anywhere near that thing's mouth.

Antonio called himself a ganadero, which meant that he worked with cattle. In fact, the steaks that were being grilled for dinner came from his ranch. He had two sisters that moved away for college, neither of them wanting anything to do with the ranching life if they could help it, but it suited Antonio just fine. He said some day the whole property would be handed down to him from his father. Until then, though, he filled his time with the rodeo.

By what I gathered, the rodeo happened at the end of every summer. People came from all over to compete in all sorts of dangerous sounding events, like wild bronco riding and steer wrestling. Antonio was a bull rider, which was about as dangerous as you could get. He displayed a scar on his arm proudly where a bull's horn gave him stitches a year ago and regarded it as if it were nothing. I couldn't believe people actually did such a thing for fun!

In the end I didn't say much about myself, just that I could draw and liked to watch anime. They seemed to be expecting more, but that was really all there was to me. Besides, you know, seeing dead people. I didn't have crazy adventures or do any sports, I preferred to stay in my room as much as possible. Compared to them, I was boring. There was a good reason for it, but I couldn't help but feel…pathetic.

Dinner was quite a different experience than I was used to. Everyone was given their own steak that was practically the size of my head, and we were expected to add mashed potatoes and salad to our meals if that wasn't enough! There was a wooden picnic table on the deck, but you didn't have to sit down to eat. At some point Alfred and Antonio starting throwing the little tomatoes on their salads at each other like bored children, catching me in the crossfire. I wondered if I was supposed to join, but my mother wouldn't like to see me play with my food and I wasn't sure about such a game anyway, so I opted to stay out of the skirmish. It was different indeed, but not entirely unexpected. There was a very relaxed atmosphere about it all, the way people ate and spoke freely, how we were treated not only like guests but as if they've known us for years. It was nice.

We brought home more left-over's than we could hope to eat in a week and the big gift basket from both families. Alfred and Antonio sent me off with goodbyes and as we drove away, Matthew stayed behind. I sighed in relief to see him waving and not following and I waved back appreciatively. He could have followed me home and bothered me all night, but I was happy to learn that he wasn't that kind of spirit. I would have been too tired by the time I got home from such a loud, busy dinner to entertain him, anyway. He was more mature than his apparent age would suggest.

Though I was curious. He said he'd been dead for three years, which I guess was a proper amount of time for the family to move on. I wondered how it happened and why he wasn't mentioned at the dinner. I saw pictures of him in the living room along with a little memorial on the wall so they obviously hadn't forgotten, but it wasn't something they wanted to talk about. Then again, it probably wasn't customary to talk about dead relatives when you were meeting new people. Whatever the case, Matthew would probably tell me sooner or later. A question I couldn't ask, though, was why he was still here. Every spirit had their reasons, from feelings of vengeance that would never be taken, to the inability to make peace with the circumstances of their own deaths. Usually they had no idea themselves and it was their job to figure it out so they could move on. Matthew didn't seem to be distraught about anything, besides his loneliness, so I couldn't help but wonder.

It wasn't my business, though, so I didn't wonder too much.

* * *

**It should get more interesting next chapter. There will be a lot more Alfred. :P**


	3. Hiatus (sorry D:)

**Hey there! I just want you all to know that I'm not dead. As usual, I've lost my place again and it was a very hectic last few weeks of spring quarter finals while trying to find a couch to crash on. My search has brought me to the other side of the state to room with my friend until I can get my place back in August. No school this summer, no job, I've got _oodles_ of time to kill. Unfortunately, there is a heat wave going on here and it is unwise to turn on my crappy laptop in 105 F heat, so I can't work on fanfiction. So yeah, I'm declaring a hiatus for the time being. I should be back in August, so I'll see you then!**

**I love you guys and I thank you all for your support. :)**

**-Terra**


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